I have been watching the feeder at least half an hour per day so far none.How long should i wait and watch or how long do most keep an eye on thier feeders???




eldon voorhees

Eldon,
There is no set time to sit and watch a feeder. I was on my porch the other evening from 5:30 until sometime after 8:00 just relaxing after a long day of digging and ammending some very dry and hard clay soil. I never saw a hummer in all that time that I was just sitting there. At other times I could walk out to the porch and see a hummer within minutes. You just never know.
BTW, in one of your other posts you said that you don't have 10 yr. old Maple trees in your yard. Believe me some maple trees grow extremely fast. You certainly don't have to wait 10 yrs. for a mature maple tree if that is what you want. The neighbor behind me let a seedling grow behind my fence 4yrs. ago and that tree is already over 15ft. tall. I end up pulling up seedlings all summer long from all the pods that drop in my yard because I hate them.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Last year my brother told me i can get too many trees and the property value goes down .No one wants alot of trees in thier yard and raking the leaves in the fall.I do not need more trees told by my brother.


eldon voorhees

Eldon,

I rarely "watch" my hummingbird feeders - but I put them in places where I can view them easily and so I usually see or hear hummingbirds, when I am doing something else.

For example, I have 1 feeder just outside my window from this computer - only 6 feet from this keyboard. So when I am on the computer, I often hear a hummingbird tweeting before I even have to see it. In the amount of time I usually sit at my computer, I usually have 2 or 3 visits. Since putting the feeder near my computer, I have greatly increased my hummingbird sightings - last year, I recorded hummingbirds almost every day from May through September.

Here is my feeder, right outside the window by my computer:


I also have this feeder outside my bedroom window:


Lately, my hummingbird action is very quiet. I have noticed that they frequently disappear for a few weeks in late May / early June when the Japanese Honeysuckle and Tulip Trees are blooming.

Wilmington, Delaware
USDA zone 7a
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 32

Eldon,
I really think that your brother is not totally correct about trees. Trees add value to property. When we had a snow storm back in Oct. of 2005 Western NewYork residents lost thousands of trees and those that weren't detroyed and had to be removed after the storm were badly damaged and had to be reomoved in the spring. I lost two trees during that storm and another that was in my neighbor's yard that hung over my driveway which provided shade to my home whben it is really hot in the summer and it kept my house cool. We lost all of our privacy from the road. Trees in the area nurseries have been selling like crazy because people want trees. They help to keep the soil from eroding. YThey provide a wind break and they add shade from the hot summer sun. You don't have to have large trees. There are trees that stay under 15 ft. that flower in the spring or provide berries and seeds for all sorts of birds in the fall and winter. Some trees can be messy but not all. There are evergreen trees that never lose their leaves and some birds nest in them. I have a couple of robins that take shelter in a cedar by my front door whenever we have a storm. I think that others here will agree with me that having a tree or two on your property is a good thing.

Some small trees commonly used in home landscapes are:
1. Dwarf Red Buckeye flowers in spring and is used by hummers and only gets about 15ft. tall
2 Chokecherry white flowers in spring and the fruit is eaten by birds in the fall 15ft.
3. Wild Plum stays around20 ft.
4. Eastern Redbud
blooms in early spring before the leaves come out stays about 15ft.
5. Blackhaw has white flowers in spring and grows about 12-15ft. tallleaves turn red in the fall.
6. Pagoda Dogwood, white flowers in spring with red to black berries in the fall that birds eat


Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I'm planting as many trees as I can fit. Birds hang out in trees. You said your neighbors have hummingbirds going back and forth between their trees, so get to planting. I can sit outside for hours and not see a hummingbird, but when I'm inside working, I make a point to glance outside the window whenver I walk by one.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Penny, Eldon,

While I certainly agree that trees are a good thing for property, and "in general" they do add value, there are (regrettably) at least a few circumstances when too many trees, or trees that are too large, can be a detriment in selling a piece of property.

First, in areas dominated by retirees, Eldon's brother's suggestion has some merit: many older people today don't want the bother of raking leaves throughout the fall. Of course, one answer is to plant evergreens.

Second, down here along the Gulf coast, many people end up removing any tall trees near their houses because they're afraid that a hurricane will topple them onto the house. Of course, some species seem far more prone to this kind of damage than others, but many people don't understand that and will remove anything they think "might" damage their home. I've heard reports of people here reluctant to buy houses with large trees on the property.

I'm not saying these are universal, or even valid, concerns, but in some people's minds trees are not necessarily a good thing. My view is more like yours: plant smaller trees nearer to the house, taller ones (and sturdier ones) farther away.

Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA

Thanks for your input Kevin. I do agree that large mature trees especially on small city lots can be more of a problem than not but even one or two small trees in the right location can really enhance a yard. I also wouldn't plant another maple tree in my yard as they tend to damage easily, have a very shallow root system and do drop tons of leaves and seeds everywhere.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I do have a looks like a cherry tree it is not the black hard seeds stays on the tree all winter long.I understood is winter birds use it well,by this sprinng the tree was still full of last year seeds.Every spring it blooms away no hummers around.My yard right now is full of flowers like honeysuckle,three weigelia bushes,and new growth of black and blue salvias,red salvias.My canas are not up yet but the crosmias are growing till red flowering starts around first of july.But the hotel is not thetre for thier liking or real estate.Hay,Penny this forum keeps me happy at least I got to commuicate to someone good.



eldon voorhees

The seeds are hard seed they finely falls off in the spring.

Hey Eldon,
Just hang in there. This is been a different year for others here on the forum too. Some are not seeing the hummers like we usually do. I am sure that if there are hummers across the street that some will eventually find your yard. I know it is very difficul to wait and be patient and I know how much you want to see hummers in your yard using your feeders and your flowers. We are all hoping for you.


Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I was home for half an hour lunch from work well, anyway I want thank you for what you had mention.



eldon voorhees

Hey Eldon
No thanks necessary.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39